Often Irreverent, Mostly Rational Blog for Fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. One Day, We'll Be Perfect.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

It was all my fault

I have been a dedicated fan of the Jays since '84 but it wasn't until 2001 that I first saw them play live. It was a bachelor party weekend in Toronto for yours truly and Boston was in town for a Canada Day weekend series. Although lots of extra curricular activities were planned, the games were the central focus for my group of baseball obsessed friends. It couldn't have been a better time. Except that the Jays lost. Badly. I was pretty bummed about it but got over it after a night of debauchery at a certain legendary adult entertainment facility on Yonge Street.

Over the years since then I've been back to the SkyDome/Rogers Centre a number of times. Work takes me around North America so I always jump at a chance to go to TO during ball season. While I've seen them play many times against many different teams, I have never seen them win. Not once. I started to get a complex. Was it me? Was I jinxing my beloved team? I started to waffle on opportunities to go to games.

Last week I found out that I had to be in Boston when the Jays are in town. The tempation was extreme. My head was swimming with doubts and rationalizations. Things will be different this time... All of those past Jays losses were under lesser managers than Cito... They are too good this time... After last night's game, they are due... Snider is due... Wells is due. Cecil is the new Jimmy Key...The Jays are going to prove wrong all of those Jackasses in the baseball world...I'll wear a brand new Jays cap...Fresh start...It wasn't me.

Turns out it was.

The Jays started out strong on the pitching and defence front. Love seeing a team struggle against an unknown starter like Cecil. The Jays drove balls deep in the first couple of innings. One of them was due to go out. Penny's luck was going to run out.

All was scoreless until the third inning when Varitek electrified the crowd with a line drive shot into the seats. Lugo later scored on a fielders choice but a two run spot was not insurmountable.

Cecil actually was lights out in the fourth so it looked like things were back on track.

Then came the fifth. I don't even want to talk about the fifth. Thankfully the Boston faithful spent a lot of time on their feet -- it obstructed my view of moonshot after moonshot leaving the park. I slunk in my seat.

My colleague deemed the game done. I was putting on a brave face. I reminded him of the Jays 10-0 comeback game...back in the late '80s. But I knew it was over.

I gave it until the 7th to see if they could muster any runs. They did manage two but the hole was deep. I suggested that we leave. I secretly hoped that my absence might spark a return of the team that kicked serious ass on Chicago on the weekend. When I got back to the hotel I crossed my fingers that I'd see that they scored 4 runs in the 8th. They got one. It was too late.

I have to disclose that the baseball Gods tried to keep me out of Fenway last night but I ignored the signs. Stubhub seriously messed with me and I ended up having to get tickets at South Shore Tickets (thanks Donny) at the last minute. But I foolishly thought that things would be different.

Here's a question: If I record a game (say for example, Dave Bush's near no-no on Apr 23 against the Phils) and watch it at a later date without knowing the outcome - am I responsible for for jinxing the no-no if I say "I think he's going to throw a no hitter!?!?"? Or are my hands washed clean as the outcome has already been determined and nothing I say or do changes that? Does that even make sense?

Also, I think we ALL go through spells of thinking that we're jinxing the Jays. For a while it seemed like the team only lost when I watched it on SN. Really, it wasn't that bad cause I got to listen to Jerry & Allen for like 2 weeks even though I could have went downstairs and watched the Ginger...

Ha, Ha the brooms are coming out. You can throw names at the Nation but what you can't say is that the Jays are for real. You can't tell me that you've beaten two of the big teams in the East this year let alone the Rays, who the Jays suck against!The Jays are 1-4 against 2 of the big three. Very sucky. The bloom has come off the rose,guys. Your manager lets the worse 3 and 4hitters in the game slack and doesn't move them. In addition, you don't have hitters like the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees. Once again, Wells and Rios are your 3 and 4? Good luck guys cause if you change that you might have a chance. And bring up Janssen and Romero,too they would be better than Cecil and Ray. Otherwise, you guys are the Os with a better record! We'll smash Ray tonight nad the dream will be over!

Does anyone remember a couple of years back the guaranteed wins nights at the Cable Box? Holy shit I thought I was a curse. First game of that promotion I went to was against Tampa. Well guess what they lost. I got free tickets to see the O's the following week on another guarantee night. Yep another loss and another free set of tickets. Saw them play a shitting Twins team. Lost again and another set of tickets. Finally, Boston comes to town the night I've got tickets and I told myself I can't keep driving back and forth to Toronto so I gave the tickets away. Guess what Jays won. I thought about staying away for good but I got back up on the horse. In the past 5 years my attendance record is 22 - 3. Shit I even saw Chacin beat Dice-K. These things happen Shortwaveboy.

Shortwave - no idea how big your sample is, but it sounds as if you know the right course of action from here forward.As for the Massholes - c'mon everyone, be honest. How many of you were acting bat-shit stupid on their blogs back in the early 90s?

I had such a string of games when I first started going to the Skydome. My first Jays game in person was a Duane Ward blown save. I attended Roy Halladay's last game before he got demoted to A ball way back when. I attended a Jays loss only to then get stuck on the Toronto subway because of an earthquake (?!).

The good news - I think I had something like a 1-9 start to Jays games in person. But I'm 6-1 since. Law of averages, my friends.

There is more to this than bad luck. What Shortwaveboy isn't telling you is he foreclosed on an elderly woman's mortgage in 2000. (She had invested all her savings into iWon.com)

Anyways, she begged him not to make her homeless, but he wouldn't budge. That's when she cursed him to travel North America and single-handedly bring ruin to his beloved Jays should he ever dare to watch a game in the flesh.

She also said that his shirt and underwear would be ruined should he ever venture into the Upper Brass and get ridden like a mule by the featured dancer.

Steve Balboni knocked a 10th inning homer over Jesse Barfield's head at the Kingdome (shudder) at my first game -- I was 12 and it was still an awesome game. Only seen 5 Jays games since, all in that same horrible building, but the record is on the positive side. I like to think that my seeing them in August 1993 actually led to a 2nd World Series win.

Saw the 'Spos a handful of times in '03 and '04 and there I believe my record was perfect -- even when I had to leave early to put the kids to bed.